As is customary,
the US asks for
authorization of
Costa Rica's
legislature
before entry of
any US warship
and soldiers in
Costa Rican
waters. And as
customary, the
Costa Rica
legislature
grants its
permission, as
was the case on
Friday.

The permission
allows the entry
of 46 US war
ships and 7.000
Marines for the
balance of the
year (July 1 to
December 31,
2010).

The
permission
granted by the
Costa Rica
legislature
could include
docking of the
USS Freedom
(pictured above)
on Costa Rica's
shores.
Opposition
parties say the
decade old
agreement was to
allow entry of
US coast guard
vessels and not
war ships.

Costa Rica's
opposition,
however, see it
different,
describing the
permission as
illegal and in
violation of
national
sovereignty.

The main
opponents to the
granting of the
authority is the
Partido Acción
Cuidadana (PAC),
the Frente
Amplio (FA) and
the Partido
Unidad Social
Cristiana (PUSC),
arguing that the
destructive
force of the
ships and
manpower, that
includes
helicopters, is
disproportianate
to the threat
caused by drug
traffickers.

The 46 ships
carry some 200
helicopters and
war planes and
includes the USS
Freedom, combat
submarines and a
hospital ship.

Luis Fishman,
head of the PUSC
party and
presidential
candidate in the
past elections,
said the
legislative
approval was
like handing
over a "blank
cheque".

"We cannot
support the
illegal, we
cannot allow our
Constitution to
be trampled",
said Fishman.

The PAC and the
FA recalled that
the bilateral
agreement signed
10 years ago
allowed the
entry of coast
guard vessels,
but not war
ships that have
the capacity for
military
confrontations
and war.

FA legislator
José María
Villalta
questioned the
conditions under
which the
permission was
granted, since
US personnel
"will enjoy
freedom of
movement and the
right to carry
out the
activities
needed to
fulfill their
mission".

The FA also
urged
consideration of
the geopolitical
situation in
which naval
forces will be
allowed to enter
a region
considered by
Washington as
part of its
sphere of
influence.

The legislator
recalled that
the US applies
in the region a
"strategy of
complete
dominance",
which includes
offensive
actions such as
the coup d'etat
in Honduras and
the installation
of military
bases in
Colombia.

Opposition
Deputies said
they may take
action, that
could include an
appeal with the
Constitutional
Court, against
the decision of
the Legislative
Assembly since
the permission
for the ships,
airships,
helicopters and
marines to enter
the country
violates the
agreement
reached a decade
ago.